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2010-11 Back-to-School Packet
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This Parent Information Packet contains the handouts that are given to parents when they attend one of our Parent Information Meetings. The entire packet can be viewed below or downloaded here: Parent Information Packet.
We encourage all interested parents to attend a meeting if possible (dates of upcoming meetings are listed on the homepage). For those who are unable to make a scheduled meeting, this packet will provide some basic information. As well, we have a DVD that takes a glimpse into the classroom setting and is an excellent way to see our school in action.
Finally, after reviewing the materials, complete the 2010-2011 Application for Enrollment for the lottery and mail or fax it to us. All applications must be received by 3 pm on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 to be entered into our lottery. Applications received after that date will be placed in the next available spot, either in the class or on the wait list.
PARENT INFORMATION PACKET
Dear Prospective Families,
Thank you for your interest in the
Enrollment for next year will be determined by lottery which will take place on March 15, 2011. Please review the detailed explanation of the lottery and wait list.
The Parent Information Meetings held on Wed. Feb. 16th at 6 PM and Sat. Feb. 19th at 10 AM will include tours of the classroom and an opportunity to meet the teachers. For students entering 6th-8th grades, there will also be a Middle School Orientation on Wed. Feb. 23rd at 6 PM where teachers, current students & parents, and alumni will share with you the unique aspects of our Middle School, what makes it so wonderful, and how it prepares students for high school.
After the lottery, we will immediately notify families by telephone if their child is going to be offered a spot in a class, and by mail if they are placed on the wait list. Lottery results will also be posted outside the front doors of the middle wing of the school. Enrollment packets are sent out when a family accepts a spot in a class. Enrollment is official only when we receive the completed enrollment paperwork by the deadline listed on the front page.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact me at the school.
Warm regards,
Cara Abrams-Simonton
Enrollment and Registration Coordinator
Admissions & Enrollment
Parent Information Meetings
The Village School hosts Parent Information Meetings in August, February and May. These meetings are held in the evening and on weekends and include a tour of the school and may include a chance to meet teachers. It is strongly recommended that all prospective parents attend a meeting before applying for enrollment at the school to become familiar with the School’s educational approach and be willing to support their children’s full participation in all School activities. If you are unable to make a meeting due to distance, hardship, or other factors, you may view a DVD of our school and read a packet of materials explaining our unique curriculum. Meeting dates and enrollment materials will be posted on our website.
Out-of-district enrollment
Proof of residency is required for all enrolling students. Students must be current residents of the 4J district to be placed on an in-district list. The Village School's enrollment policy requires applicants from within the 4J School District be given the first opportunity to enroll in available spaces at the school. However, Oregon's charter school law allows students to apply to the school from outside of the school district without an inter-district transfer, and at no cost. Applicants from out-of-state who are planning to relocate will be placed on the out of district list until they become 4J residents.
Lottery
In the event that there are more applicants than spaces available in a class, a lottery will be held to distribute the spaces fairly. The Village School holds an annual lottery separate from the lottery held by the Eugene School District 4j. This year’s lottery will be held on March 15th, 2011. We will notify by phone all students placed into a class, and we will mail letters to students placed on the wait list. Lottery results will also be posted outside the middle wing doors.
Early Entry Testing
The Village School prioritizes students who are five on or before September 1st. Parents wanting early entry for their children whose birthday falls after that date must contact the 4J school district for assessment information. It is the parent’s responsibility to complete the testing and get the test results to us before the student can apply; early entry students are placed on a separate wait list.
Re-Enrollment Process
Upon completing re-enrollment paperwork in January, students currently enrolled will be guaranteed a place at the school the following year. Siblings may also apply for enrollment at this time, and are given priority placement over new applicants.
Wait List
· During the lottery, as names are drawn students are placed into the class, and once the class is full, they are placed on the wait list in the order their names are drawn. When the Village School receives notification that a parent is giving up their child’s space, staff will immediately consult the wait list to fill the vacancy as quickly as possible. Parents will be given a 48-hour window of opportunity to respond to the offer of an available spot. Notification may be left on voice mail; if there is no answer and no voice mail, we will continue to try and reach the interested family. Responses made to the school within 48 hours must fall into the category of “yes” or “no. If we don’t receive a “yes” after 48 hours, we will move down the wait list. Please note: once classes start in the fall it is possible we will give 24 hours to respond after being offered a spot. This expedites the process of filling empty spots.
· We will call all phone numbers listed on an application to fill a spot. Parents should let us know if their phone number or address changes. In the event that we are unable to reach a family; they will be marked off the list and the next applicant will be called.
· Failure to return completed paperwork by the deadline given may result in loss of a spot.
· It is the responsibility of new families to attend meetings and read written materials, including the parent handbook, to become familiar with the practices and expectations of the school.
· The Village School does not carry the wait list from a previous academic year to the next one, per state law. It’s the parent’s responsibility to submit a new application for the lottery each year.
The Village School Mission Statement
The mission of The Village School is to provide an education that fully integrates the arts with an academic curriculum, guided by observations of child development that promote the healthy growth of the whole human being – the head (thinking), the heart (feeling), and hands (willing). Further, the Village School strives to create a community that honors truth, beauty and goodness and encourages development of the inherent gifts of each school community member.
The Village School Non-Discrimination Policy
The Village School strongly supports diversity and the honoring of all people, beliefs, and cultures both locally and globally. A core element of The Village School curriculum is to educate our students in the wide array of cultures and belief systems, both past and present, and to treat everyone’s beliefs and culture with respect.
As such, The Village School has a very strong non-discrimination policy and does not discriminate against employees or students based on mental or physical handicap or disability, race, color, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, familial status, economic class, source of income, physical characteristics, or linguistic characteristics of a national origin group.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten Program integrates social and academic skills through teacher organized and directed activities. Throughout the year children build on their entry level skills in order to be well-prepared for first grade. The Village School’s program expects notable growth by the end of the school year which results in acquisition of the following capabilities in order to be ready for first grade:
- Personal Responsibilities—put personal belongings away, and help put group belongings away; complete chore or cleanup task that takes five to ten minutes independently; follow daily routine independently.
- Group Respect—become quiet when signaled, within five-ten seconds; be respectful of other people’s physical space; remain on task or focused for about ten to thirty minutes, when provided with an activity to do or listen to ; cooperate with teacher in circle activities for a minimum of five to fifteen minutes; stay seated during activities or meals for fifteen to thirty minutes; take turns when speaking, allow others turns independently; keep hands on own person, when reminded once.
- Academic—recite alphabet/letter recognition; capability of writing name; capability of reciting phone number and up to thirty songs or verses; basic color and shape recognition; paint one solid page; have a working knowledge of basic activities provided at school.
First Grade
Achieve mastery of core main lesson work pertaining to folk tales and nature stories; introduction to literacy, letter formation, phonics, the writing process, story writing, poetry writing, letter writing, punctuation and capitalization; qualities of the numbers, introduction to the four processes in arithmetic, fact families, measurement, time, money, place value, charts/graphs, problem solving, skip counting and lower multiplication tables, pattern recognition, simple plane geometric figures; science topics may include (but not be limited to) insects, life cycle of the butterfly, plant studies, soil investigations, liquids, animal studies, and dinosaurs.
Second Grade
Core Main Lesson work is based on legends and myths of helpers of humanity, animal fables, folk tales from North America and other continents, some North American native legends; literacy blocks will continue to build on the work completed in grade 1: story, poetry, journal, and letter writing, drafts and the process of writing, the elements of a story (setting, plot, characters, theme); cursive writing is introduced through dynamic form drawing; continued work with the four mathematical processes and word problems, place value, number patterns and relationships, measurement, data gathering and analysis, plane and solid geometric figures. Science topics may include bees, bubbles, insect and animal habitats, and schoolyard ecology.
Third Grade
Creation stories from around the world are first introduced as the core Main Lesson substance; agriculture study; human habitats and house building; community process and participation; clothing and culture; literacy blocks incorporating grammar and language mechanics are taught and practiced in the context of modes of writing, parts of speech, topic sentences and paragraph structure; mathematics will include higher multiplication tables and measurement, common fractions and decimals, time and money, redistributing (carrying and borrowing), number patterns, prime numbers, geometry and problem solving; science topics may include soils, grains, agriculture, carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, liquid explorations, aquatic habitats and, beach ecology.
Fourth Grade
The core Main Lesson work centers on North American history as seen through the viewpoint of Oregon and its development from the time of its indigenous people; local geography and map making (starting from immediate surroundings, and working up to neighborhoods, city, county, state and region); Norse and Finnish mythology and sagas; age appropriate literacy work includes letter writing, verb tenses, abbreviations, personal pronouns, poetry and alliteration; math work will include reviewing arithmetic operations, times tables, story problems, long division, averages, fractions, simple factoring, perimeter, area, and volume; science topics may include study of the animal kingdom, crime lab chemistry and fingerprinting, simple electrical circuits, and space technology.
Fifth Grade
The core Main Lesson work is based on Ancient history and myths from ancient India, to ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, up to ancient Greece, the lives and legends of Rama and Sita, Buddah, Zarathustra, Gilgamesh, Khufu, Plato, Aristotle, Achilles, Odysseus, and Alexander the Great; continued development of writing skills with attention to focus, voice, organization, mechanics and the modes; geography of North America with reference to vegetation, topography, agriculture, and economics; math blocks include decimal fractions, fractions, mixed numerals, ratios and proportion, the metric system, geometry, estimation, data collection and analysis using number lines bar and line graphs; science topics may include botany and plant studies, simple machines, dissolving rates, crime lab chemistry. Students participation in Greek Games with other students from around the state.
Sixth Grade
The core Main Lesson work is based on Roman and medieval history (including the fall of Troy, founding of Rome, the Republic, the Empire, advent of Christianity, the Crusades, the rise of Islam); ancient African kingdoms of Mali and Timbuktu; geometric drawing; astronomy; geology and mineralogy; European and Middle Eastern geography; physics (sound, light, heat, magnetism and electricity); age appropriate language arts including writing for various purposes and debates; math work includes pre-algebra, geometry, business math (percentages, interest, discount, etc.), review and strengthen ratio and proportion.
Seventh Grade
The core Main Lesson work is based on Middle Ages, age of exploration, the Renaissance and Reformation; Arthurian Legends and the age of chivalry; Asian, African and South American geography and cultural history; age appropriate language arts including various forms of writing; physics (mechanics, magnetism and electricity), human physiology and nutrition; science includes chemistry and astronomy; math work includes pre-algebra, geometry (Pythagorean theorem, simple Euclidean proofs, laws of perspective drawing), powers, roots, integers, formulae.
Eighth Grade
Core curriculum includes Literature (short stories, letters, dramatic contrast in Shakespearean drama); age appropriate language arts; the age of revolution (Industrial, American, French); cultural geography/anthropology; world geography; human physiology (bones and muscles); learning to discern media; intro to organic chemistry; physics (acoustics, optics, hydraulics, aerodynamics, meteorology); contemporary history topics; math includes algebra and geometry (platonic solids, proofs, volumes of solids, laws of loci); binary opposition math and the origins and development of the computer.
Specialty Subjects
Movement
Physical education is a vital part of the curriculum of the Village School at all grade levels. The goals of the Movement program are that the students have fun and be able to recreate through playing in order to lay the foundations for the development of a lifetime of enjoyable physical activity. Between the ages of 7-14 students focus on sport, games, and movement to develop spatial awareness and the capacity to form the many-sided judgments so necessary to critical thinking. Students learn to play both cooperatively and competitively. In grade 5 students participate with other Waldorf Schools in the Greek Games. Sixth graders join with other Waldorf Schools in a Medieval Games day. Middle school students participate in a regional track meet.
Foreign Language
Students in grades 1-8 receive Spanish instruction twice a week. The Spanish teacher incorporates the same basic pedagogical principles as those that underlie the teaching of the main lesson blocks. Students learn through movement, songs, and recitations.
Art
The art program integrates what is being learned academically. Art periods develop the child's visual and tactile capacities through painting, drawing, modeling, etc. The teacher nurtures the child's aesthetic awareness and creativity, and allows room for spontaneous self-expression.
Handwork
Handwork or handcrafts are, by definition, any work or creation executed primarily with the hands, sometimes with the aid of different tools, utilizing various media. Our goal is to help each student make beautiful, useful items that generate a feeling of inner wholeness and an ability for creative expression within the child. The secondary goal is to develop strong hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and a sense of pride within the child for good work completed. These goals are accomplished in a progressive manner, following other areas of the curriculum. Beginning in the kindergarten with finger knitting, we move through the early grades with increasingly demanding knitting projects, crocheting, into hand embroidery, hand sewing, weaving, leatherwork and culminating in machine sewing by grades 6, 7, and 8. Woodworking using simple hand tools in the middle school grades can also be a part of the Handwork program.
Music and Drama
Music and the dramatic arts are an integral part of every grade. Beginning in Kindergarten, daily singing helps teach tone recognition, melody, harmony, imitation, rhythm, as well as signaling transitions. Moving through the grades, the children continue singing but are also introduced to the pentatonic flute in grade 1 and to the recorder in grade two. Students will continue with the recorder through eighth grade. By grades five and six, two and three part music for recorder and voice is done regularly. Grades four and five belong to a choir that meets twice weekly. Students in grades six through eight learn to play guitars and experience being part of marimba ensembles. Students perform in class plays and in all-school musical productions a few times each year. Students in grades seven and eight are offered a selection of additional enrichment classes to choose from.
Title I
Title I is a federally funded grant available to schools through the No Child Left Behind Act to provide support in reading and math, extra help for students during Main Lesson, tutoring for students, an after school homework club, summer school, and more. The Village School receives funding for its School Wide Title I Program based on the number of children who qualify for free or reduced lunches. The funds are used to hire teaching staff including a half-time Title I Coordinator and three Instructional Assistants who work with struggling learners in grades one through five. A School Wide planning committee that includes the Administrator, Board members, teachers and parents has set goals for school improvement in the area of writing, reading, mathematics and science. Professional development for teachers, improved student conduct, and extended learning opportunities for students are other areas that are supported by the Title I program funding. Parents have annual opportunities to inform the school improvement process by giving feedback to the School during the fall when the school administration surveys parents, students and staff to gather input regarding progress toward the School’s goals as stated in the School Improvement Plan.
Special Education and Students with Disabilities
A District staffed Learning Center is located on site to serve students who have been identified as having special learning challenges. Both state and federal law require schools to provide an appropriate education for students who have disabilities (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The School in partnership with the District will make reasonable accommodations and modifications for any student who has a disability. Some students with disabilities may require reasonable accommodations or modifications in order to participate fully in the regular educational program while others may require a special education placement. Students with disabilities, or their parents, may contact their classroom teacher, a counselor, or the School Administrator if they believe accommodations or modifications are needed or if they are seeking consideration for Special Education services.
Testing
The Village School is a public school, and therefore participates in all mandatory national, state, and District level testing. Parents will be notified in advance of testing through the Village Voice newsletter or communications from their child’s teacher.
After School Care
Kindergarten extended care is available Monday through Thursday between 11:45am and 2:30pm. This service is available through the Village School for a monthly fee. Beginning at 2:30 PM after school care is provided by Eugene Creative Care in the cafeteria. To register, contact Creative Care at 683-7291.
Math Tutor
We provide a math tutor for students who are identified as needing additional support in 6th-8th grades.
Unique Aspects of the Village School Program
Ï The Primary mode of curriculum work is through Main Lesson blocks with Main lesson books
Ï The Village School curriculum is based on a developmental model which marks milestones in growth through instruction in two strands: Historia (Humanities) and Geographia (Sciences).
Ï Each Main Lesson includes aspects of and addresses the faculties of thinking, feeling, and willing.
Ï The Main Lesson provides a center hub-point of the day from which most all the other specialty classes radiate outward.
Ï The school day begins and ends with a handshake between student and teacher upon arriving and leaving the classroom.
Ï A morning (and closing) verse or poem, specific to the child’s grade, is part of the daily rhythm.
Ï After the opening poem the day begins with opening activities. In the lower grades, students participate in Morning Circle, that includes songs and poems (sometimes seasonal) with accompanying gestures, rhythm exercises with and without beanbags, math games, recorder work, other large motor games, and practical activities which may have to do with the current Main Lesson block. Upper grade students also begin their days with opening activities that may include recitation, singing, and class meetings.
Ï Students work with the faculty of memorization: verses, poems, tongue twisters, songs, math facts, etc. We develop this natural capacity in children to a far greater extent than any traditional public school. By the end of the year each class should know 20-40 poems and songs.
Ï Recapitulation and review—Each Main Lesson has a “retelling” part where the previous day’s story or information is reviewed, led by probing questions from the teacher. The recapitulation sets the stage for the story/information material of the current day’s lesson.
Ï Classroom aesthetics emphasize a calm, peaceful and beautiful atmosphere. The state of the classroom is to be clean, orderly and free of excessive stimuli.
Ï The dress code excludes attire that is offensive to any person(s) in the school, considering factors such as language and violent imagery.
Ï Music is an integral part of the program and weaves its way into every classroom every day. Especially in the younger grades (K-3), music is used to signal transitions from one program element to another.
Ï Handwork, Movement education, and Foreign Language are integral parts of the program.
Ï Child Study is part of the work of the faculty, staff, and parents of the school.
Ï Faculty study is part of the work of the faculty and staff of the school.
Ï Parent involvement is necessary and important to the life of the school.
Ï The Village School academic calendar allows for longer winter and spring vacations, in lieu of weekly early release days.
School Rules & CoreValues
Village School Rules
Be Safe
Solve Problems
Act Inclusively
Respect Everyone
These simple rules provide everyone who comes and goes from the school with the basis for our interactions. They represent the optimum manifestation of a community’s mutual desire for maintaining a safe, happy and productive educational environment. All students are responsible for applying these rules in the classroom and on the playground. At the beginning of the year, the rules are presented to students in an assembly, and teachers devote class time to helping their students understand them and apply them to their choices of behavior throughout their daily school life.
To help us develop meaningful and appropriate behavior expectations, our staff has studied a number of books and methods including:
Schools Where Everyone Belongs by Stan Davis
Teaching with Love and Logic by Fay and Funk
Positive Discipline in the Classroom by Nelsen, Lott and Glenn
Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support by Scott Ross, Rob Horner, Ph.D., Bruce Stiller, Ph.D.
These studies have influenced our approach. The consistent practice of class meetings in all grades as described in Positive Discipline in the Classroom, for example, has been one of the most effective ways of airing social issues that can often result in inappropriate behavioral choices. Also, as a result of our studies, we found helpful models for the rubrics we use in determining the severity of a behavior and consistent consequences when called for.
These core values encompass our aspirations for
Ï Every attempt will be made to maintain the dignity and self-respect of students, parents, and teachers.
Ï Students will be guided and expected to solve their problems without creating problems for others.
Ï Every attempt will be made to respond to inappropriate behavior with natural or logical consequences.
Ï Disciplinary challenges will be viewed as an opportunity for individual problem-solving.
Ï We will work toward nurturing the capacities for both resolving problems and working toward optimal relationships.
Ï Students will be given opportunities to become contributing members of their communities, stewards of the planet, as well as self-aware, creative individuals.
Ï We value the positive effects of and acknowledge the efforts of students who arrive on time for school each day, who are present and prepared for school, who listen respectfully, and who honor their commitments to completing work on time.
With these core values as a foundation, The Village School staff has developed the behavior guidelines that appear in the Family Handbook. Incoming families will receive a copy of this Handbook. We respectfully invite all students and parents to share their feedback and interest in our efforts to achieve high standards for social conduct at our school.
U.S. Public Waldorf-Methods Charter Schools
The following is based on excerpts from the website: http://www.waldorfanswers.org/PublicWaldorf.htm
In the 1990s, a number of States in the U.S. adopted charter school laws that described the process by which an independent group of parents and administrators may set up a publicly funded charter school. Charter schools have a certain degree of independence in terms of setting curriculum and implementing educational philosophy. As a result, a number of Charter Schools inspired by Waldorf Education have been established in the U.S. These schools are fall under the jurisdiction of public school districts and school board and must meet the criteria set by the District and State to operate. They usually have non-profit status and are governed by their own boards.
What are Waldorf methods?
The methods of a Waldorf school derive from a pedagogical model that recognizes the specific developmental stages of the child. The Waldorf philosophy views education as an art, so each subject, be it arithmetic, biology or English, is presented in a living way that speaks to the child's developmental stage. Each subject is presented through direct experience and is usually augmented with art, poetry, music, drama and movement. The teacher’s aim is to draw out the children’s inherent capacities by creating an atmosphere in the classroom that fills the children with interest, wonder and enthusiasm.
Waldorf-methods teachers may be Waldorf-trained or, if not, are sufficiently knowledgeable of Steiner's model of child development that they can successfully work within the curriculum. There are courses offered by Rudolf Steiner College in California which are specifically oriented to professional development of public Waldorf-methods teachers. In-depth courses in Waldorf education are also available at a number of Waldorf teacher education centers.
With the Waldorf method of instruction, the class teacher involves the children in the subject through presentation, story telling, writing, reading, recitation, dramatic acting, painting, drawing, and movement. The teacher follows a rhythm, day to day, which begins with a review of the previous day’s material, further development of the subject matter and then introduction of new material. Day by day throughout the block, the teacher builds up the subject matter and the students build up their Main Lesson books. The involvement of the students in the Main Lesson promotes and develops active listening, imagination, memory and verbal skills.
Summary
A public Charter School inspired by Waldorf Education typically takes the forms and methods which distinguish independent Waldorf schools and adapts them to the public school environment. The curriculum and content are usually adjusted, but the methods of teaching, such as the Main Lesson, the daily and weekly rhythms, the integration of artistic activity into every subject area, the inclusion of the fine arts, the performing arts and the “practical art,” and the inclusion of foreign languages and movement are all fairly standard.
The
Application for Enrollment
2010-2011
This form is due in the Village School office by 3 pm on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.
The following information is required to apply for admission to The Village School. In the event that there are more applications than spaces available, a lottery will be held to fairly and equitably distribute the available spaces in the class. The lottery will be held on March 16, 2010. Lottery results will be posted outside the school. Students placed in classes will receive a phone call and students placed on the wait list will receive notification by mail.
Please fill out a separate form for each student. Please print neatly. Please provide all information requested. Forms that are illegible or have incomplete information may be bypassed in our attempts to promptly fill spots.
Name: _________________________________ Birthdate: ___________Boy/Girl Grade Applying For: ______
Current age:_______ Last school attended: ______________________ District of this school ______________
Is the student in any special programs? Gifted—yes/no ESL—yes/no IEP—yes/no Other—yes/no
If yes, please describe & list school where services were received: _______________________________
Parent’s Name: _____________________________________Relationship to child: _________________
Address: _______________________________City: _______________________Zip code: __________
Phone: home: _____________________ cell: __________________ work: ________________________
Parent’s Name: _____________________________________Relationship to child: _________________
Address: _______________________________City: _______________________Zip code: __________
Phone: home: _____________________ cell: __________________ work: ________________________
Parent who attended Information Meeting: ___________________________________ Date: __________
Where did you learn about the Village school? Register Guard___ Eugene Weekly ___ Radio ___
OR Family Magazine ___ Friend/Family: ___ Other _________________________________________
Questions/Comments: __________________________________________________________________
Are you applying to this school for other children? A separate form must be completed for each student. This form only enters the child named above into the lottery. Other children applying:
Name: __________________________________ Grade: ________
Name: __________________________________ Grade: ________
Office Use: Staff Signature:______________________________________________ Date: ___________ In 4j District: Y N If no, what district? ______________________ IEP? ______________ Children qualify for enrollment if 5 by September 1 of the school year. Appropriate age? Y N
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